Tea making apparatus



Sept. 14, 1943. M. H. GRAHAM ET AL 2,329,603

TEA MAKING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 10, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 //v|/L=A/To/23 H 1 MAI/E/cE/Z GRAHAM 147' TOENEK? Sept. 14, 1943. M. H. GRAHAM ETAL TEA MAKING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 10, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /NVENTOE6 MAue/cE l1. GEAHAM 7710/14/43 C. foeafis g7 M W HTTOENEYJ' Patented Sept. 14, 1943 TEA MAKING APPARATUS Maurice H. Graham, St. Louis Park, and Thomas 0. Forbes, Hopkins, said Forbes assigna or to said Graham Application February 10, 1941, Serial No. 378,226.

4 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in tea. making apparatus and more particularly to such apparatus having means for accurately timing the steeping or infusion period thereof. g

It is well known, that to make good tea, it is of utmost importance that the leaves be steeped in boiling water a predetermined length of time, the duration of which is based upon the time required to obtain the abstraction from the tea leaves of the usual theine or caffeine without extracting the detrimental tannic acid therefrom. Attempts have heretofore been made to provide means in a tea making apparatus for automatically controlling the length of the steeping period, but to the best of my knowledge, none of 665. I have found that the brewed tea usually contains a small percentage of foreign matter, even though it may have been passed through a conventional strainer or filter, which has a tendency to adhere to the walls of the infusion chamber and particularly to the wall of the metering orifice, whereby, after a short period of ,use, the length of steeping or infusion period may be materially increased, thereby causing tannic acid to be released from the tea leaves into the tea. This obviously is objectionable and may materially affect the flavor of the tea.

The novel tea making apparatus herein disclosed, like those shown in the above mentioned application and patent, comprises a small metering orifice which controls the length of the steeping or infusion period. The present apparatus, however, distinguishes from those of said application and patent in that clear water only is permitted toflow through the metering orifice,

whereby there is no danger of the orifice becoming clogged by foreign matter which may be contained in the brewed tea.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a tea making apparatus comprising an infusion chamber by a discharge opening provided with a suitable valve, and a. timing mechanism comprising a floatjchamber having a float therein for actuating said valve, said float chamber being adapted to receive fresh water and having a-metering orifice in the lower portion through which the water may gradually drain from. the float chamber and subsequently cause the float toopen the valve and permit the brewed tea to drain from the infusion chamber.

A further object is to provide a tea making apparatus comprising a container having a discharge opening inits lower portion and a timing mechanism being removably supported in said container and comprising a float chamber open at the top and having a float therein having an operative connection with a valve provided in the lower portion of the timing mechanism adapted to normally close a valve opening, when the float is in elevated position, thereby to prevent premature discharging of the liquid from the container during the steeping period, and said float chamber having a metering orifice in the lower portionthereof through which a portion of the clear water delivered to the float chamber may gradually discharge therefrom, until the float eventually assumes a position to open to the valve, whereby the liquid or tea in the container may quickly discharge therefrom through said open valve.

A further object is to provide a'tea making apparatus of the class described comprising a container wherein the tea is steep ed, and a receptacle for receiving the brewed tea from said container, after a predetermined time interval, and a suitable timing mechanism being removably supported in the container adapted to be actuated byclear water delivered thereinto, when the steeping or infusion period is initially started, and whereby the operating parts of the timing mechanism are not affected by foreign matter or particles which may be entrained with the brewed tea.

Other objects of the invention reside in the simple and inexpensive construction of the timing mechanism; in the unique manner of supporting it in the container and whereby it may readily be assembled as a unit, independently of the container inwhich it is supported when in operation; in the filtering element provided at the lower portion of the timing unit adapted to engage the bottom wall of the container and prevent the tea. leaves from passing into the receiving receptacle or pot, when the brewed tea drawings and will be pointed out in the annexed claims.

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a tea making apparatus with the upper portion broken away to show the invention embodied therein, the float being shown in valve closing position;

Figure 2 is a view similar to the uppervportion of Figure 1, but showing the float in valve-opening position; v

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail sectional plan view on the line 3-3 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of the timing mechanism removed from the apparatus.

In the selected embodiment of the invention here shown, there is illustrated in Figure 1, for purposes of disclosure, a tea making apparatus comprising a lower receptacle or pot 2 having a suitable handle 3, and an upper container 4 shown provided with a suitable handle 5. The container 4 may have its lower portion formed with an annular cylindrical wall portion 5, adapted to be received in the mouth of the receptacle 2, thereby to support the container in position thereon. A suitable cover 1, indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 1, may be provided for the upper container 4.

An important feature of the present invention resides in the means provided for controlling the length of the steeping period, whereby successive quantities of tea made in the apparatus may be identical in flavor, provided, of course, that the same proportions of tea leaves and boiling water are used for each pot of tea. The means provided for thus controlling the steeping or infusion period is shown comprising a timing mechanism, generally designated by the numeral 8, which is removabiy supported in the container 4, as will be subsequently described. The bottom wall 3 of the container 4 is shown provided with a threaded discharge opening adapted to receive the lower end of a threaded nipple l2, which forms a part of the timing mechanism.

The nipple i2, as clearly illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, terminates at its upper end in a horizontal wall l3, provided with a series of openings I4. The bottom face of the wall l3 provides a valve seat I0, adapted to be engaged by an annular valve I5. The outer marginal edge of the horizontal wall I3 is shown secured to or integrally formed with a cylindrical wall |6 hav ing its upper end suitably secured to a horizontal wall I! forming the bottom of a suitable float chamber l8. The float chamber is defined by an enlarged cylindrical wall portion l9, and 9. cylindrical portion 2| which extends upwardly into the container 4 from the wall portion i3, and preferably has its upper end extending slightly above the upper end of the container 4, although, not necessarily so. 7

A hollow post or-guide member 22 is shown having its lower end secured to the bottom wall I! of the float chamber l8, and extends upwardly into the float chamber to provide a vertical guide for a stem 23, having its lower end preferably loosely connected to a suitable spider 24. The upper end of the stem 23 is suitably secured to the upper end of an arm 25 secured to a float 26. The float is provided at its center with a tubular member 21 adapted to receive the hollow post 22 and whereby said post provides a vertical guide for the float 26.

The spider 24 is operatively connected to the annular valve I5, by a plurality of shouldered studs 28 which traverse the elongated openings H in the wall I3, as clearly illustrated, in Fig- 75 bottom wall 9 of the container 4, when the tim-- asaaeoa ures 1 and 3. Thus, it will be seen that vertical movement of the float in the chamber it will impart vertical movement to the valve I5, whereby the latter may be moved into or out of engagement with the valve seat In by variations in the lever of the water in the float chamber It. The upper end of the hollow post 22 is preferably forked, as shown at 23 to provide a guide for the upper ofl'set end portion of the arm 25, and to prevent said arm from relatively rotating with respect to the post 22.

A suitable screen or filter member, generally designated by the numeral 3|, is suitably secured to the lower wall portion of the float chamber l8,

and has its lower edge arranged to engage the ing mechanism is secured in shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Another feature of the invention resides in the means provided at the upper end of the cylindriposition therein, as

cal wall 2| of the timing mechanism for permitting air in the float chamber from quickly escaping therefrom, when'water is quickly poured into the float chamber through the upper open end thereof. To thus permit air to quickly escape from the float chamber I! when it is filled with water, the upper edge of the cylindrical wall 2| of said chamber is notched or serrated, as shown at 3| in Figure 4, whereby a plurality of air vents or ducts are provided around the entire circumference of the upper end of the wall portion 2|. A suitable closure member, generally designated by the numeral 32, having a screen bottom 33, is removably mounted in the upper portion of the wall portion 2|. The cylindrical wall 35 of the closure member 32 is smaller in diameter than the inside diameter of the wall 2| to provide an annular air passage 36 between the walls 2| and 35, as will be readily noted by reference to Figure 4. Suitable projections 31, preferably integrally formed in the metal, are provided in the wall 35 to axially retain the closure member 36 within the chamber provided by the wall 2|. The upper marginal edge of the wall 35 of the closure member 32 is outwardly and downwardly rolled, as shown at 38, to provide a finished appearance for the upper end of the timing mechanism and also to facilitate removal of the closure member 36 from the wall 2 In the operation of the novel tea making apparatus herein disclosed, the timing mechanism 8 is secured in position within the container 4 by screwing the threaded nipple |2 thereof into the threaded socket forming the discharge opening for the container 4. When the timing mechanism has thus been secured in place, the lower edge of the filter member 3| will engage the bottom wall of the container 9, as shown. A measured quantity of tea leaves is then delivered into the container 4 in the annular space provided between the timing mechanism and the upright wall of the container 4, and drops to the bottom of the container, as shown at 39 in Figure l.

A measured quantity of water is then poured into the upper end of the timing mechanism and quickly fills the float chamber I8 with clear water, whereby the float is elevated and the valve I 5 moved into closing engagement with the valve seat |0, as shown in Figure 1. When the float chamber has been completely filled, the remaining portion of the measured quantity of water will flow over the top thereof into the container 4, until the entire measured quantity of water has been poured into the float chamber and conthe container I.

As soon as the proper container 4, the steeping or infusion period commences, and will continue so long as the that remains in its elevated valve-closing position, shown in Figure 1. As the level of the water in the float chamber gradually drains therefrom through a metering orifice or duct defined by a small' tube 20, shown in Figure 1, the level of the clearly indicated by the arrows in Figure 2. The tea delivered into the receptacle 2 will be clear and sparkling, as all-of the tea leaves and other foreign matter contained in the container 2 will be retained therein by the screen or filter memberil.

When all of-the brewed tea has drained from the container into the receptacle 2, the container l and timing mechanism may, if desired, be removed from the receptacle 2 and a suitable cover, not shown, substituted therefor. The

timing mechanism may then be removed from the container as a unit for cleaning or other purposes. It will thus be seen that the operation of the apparatus is extremely simple, the 1m portant feature being that when the boiling water is delivered into the container 4 in the operation of starting the steeping period, the

asaaos tainer l. The cover may then bereplaceduponj quantity of waterhas thus been introduced into the float chamber and water, said container having a suitable discharge the casing'in the container,

E on the l 'ower end of the timer casing adapted for interlocking engagement to removably secure 2. man apparatus for making" tea, a container providing an infusion chamber adapted to receive measured quantities of tea leaves and opening in its bottom wall, a timing mechanism for controlling the length of the infusion or steepfloat chamber l8 must be filled with clear water before the timing mechanism can function.

We have found, from considerable experimental and research work, over an extended period of time, that by allowing only pure water to pass through the metering orifice defined by the tube 20, the danger of the passage therethrough becoming clogged or unduly restricted from foreign deposits, is practically entirely eliminated, whereby the apparatus may be repeatedly used over a long period of time without any variations in the infusion period. It will also be noted that the timing mechanism is self-contained and may readily be removed and thoroughly cleaned with a very little effort, which is highlydesirable in apparatus of this general type.

We claim as our invention:

1. In an apparatus of the class described, a

container providing an infusion chamber adapted to receive measured quantities of tea leaves and water, said container having a discharge opening whereby the brewed tea may be quickly drained therefrom, a timing mechanism comprising a casing having an open top disposed above the top of the container and provided at its bottom with a restricted passage whereby water in the casing may gradually drain therefrom, a valve for said discharge opening, 'and,a float within the casing having an operative connection with the valve whereby when substantially all the water in the casing has drained therefrom, the float will be operated to open the valve and permit the brewedtea to quickly drain from the infusion chamber. and cooperatin means in the bottom wall of the container and drain therefrom.

ing period, said timing mechanism being in the form of a unitary structure comprising a casin defining a float chamber having a float therein provided with a valve for closing the discharge opening in the container, when the float chamher is filled with water to start the infusion period, said float chamber having a restricted passage whereby the water therein may gradually drain-therefrom and subsequently permit the float to descend and open the valve and allow the tea to quickly discharge from the infusion chamber, means for removably supporting the timer casing within the container whereby said casing, including the float and valve, may be removed from the container as a unit, and a suitable screen depending from the lowerportion of the timer casing with its lower' edge adapted to engage the bottom wall of the container,

container providing an infusion chamber adapt'- ed to receive measured quantities of tea leaves and. water, saidcontainer having a discharge opening in its bottom wall, a unitary timing mechanism comprising a casing having an extension at its lower endadapted to be received in said discharge opening, said timing mechanism having a valve opening in its lower end for establishing communication between the container and said extension, a valve for closing said .valve opening, and a float within the casing having an operative connection with said valve and adapted to close the valve, when wateris initially introduced into said casing, and said casing having a restricted'passage in its bottom wall through which watermay gradually drain therefrom, whereupon the float is subsequentLv operated to open the valve to permit the infusion in the container to quickly drain therefrom.

4. In an apparatus of the class described, a container providing an infusion chamber adapted to receive measured quantities of tea leaves and water, said container having a threaded discharge opening in its bottom wall, a unitary timing mechanism comprising a casing having a nipple at its lower end adapted to be received in threaded engagement with said threaded discharge opening, said timing mechanism having MAURICE H. GRAHAM. 'THOMAS C. FORBES. 

